Day 9

            I woke up at about 6:30AM, called the front desk and told them that I would be checking out in about an hour. They needed to be informed ahead of time because they were required to check the Mini-Bar to make sure I didn’t drink anything from it. This is usually not required pre-checkout in most other countries because the hotel can always bill your credit card if they find that you took something. Since American Credit Cards are not useable due to the embargo, this was a necessary task by the hotel. After this short conversation, I showered, finishing packing everything, and took my bags down to the front desk for the bellhop to take to the bus for me. Then, I ate breakfast in the hotel with a few other members of my group. Then, I made my way down to the front of the hotel to get on the bus. When I arrived at the bus, Julio was there (our bus driver) to help us with our baggage and he introduced his wife to us. She did not speak English either, but was really sweet and it was nice to meet her! Our American tour guide, Annie, did not come with us to the airport, and wished us farewell before we left on the bus. It was a emotional time for me; my entire trip flashed before me and I really began to understand what Cuba was all about and how much of an incredible experience my trip was. As we drove by the old architecture and buildings that we had passed a thousand times over the course of the week, I knew that this would be only the beginning; meaning that I would find myself in Cuba many more times in the future.

            When we arrived at the airport, we bid farewell to Julio, got our bags, and went inside the airport. Meylin came with us and guided us through the process of checking in and paying our $25CUC departure tax. We arrived at the airport at around 8:30AM, planning on departing on our scheduled 11AM flight. When we checked-in, we found out that our flight was delayed until 1:30PM. This was very unfortunate, and meant that we had to spend hours inside the terminal. I had a feeling that this would not in fact be our departure time because the computer monitor said “Estimated.” The terminal itself was intriguing; there was only one departure and arrival gate (the same gate!). One plane would land and then that same plane would take off again to a new destination. To make a long story short, we all got to spend a great deal more of quality time together; our flight didn’t leave till 3PM (more or less). The flight was uneventful, and we landed in Miami a little before 4PM. Customs was a piece of cake; they didn’t check my carry-on (not that they would have found anything illegal, but I’m just saying!), they asked me a simple question “Why were you in Cuba?” where I responded as: “People to people musical tour.” The customs agent said “fine” and I was through to baggage claim. Incredible! It was too easy! After locating my baggage, I bid farewell to some of the members of my group and I went on my way. I had plans to stay over in Miami (at the airport) and fly home on a 9:30AM flight the next morning. Since our flight was so delayed, I didn’t have all of the free time in Miami that I thought I would have had (I expected to have the majority of the day!). So, I opted to try my best to get on an earlier flight home. My flight home the next morning was on an American Airlines flight, so I went to their desk to see if I could get on an earlier flight. They told me the only flight I could get on would be a 10PM flight that would get me to Philadelphia around 1AM. That wasn’t appealing, so I went to the US Airways counter and was able to get on a 7PM flight that arrived in Philadelphia around 10PM (thanks to my parent’s suggestion!). I had to pay a little more for the ticket, but it was well worth it to finally get home after the long day of travel. Ironically, I ran into one of the members of our tour, Margaret, at the US Airways counter, and she was flying home on the exact same flight. We walked around the airport a bit, got some dinner (where we ran into another member from our group), and waited at the terminal together for a bit before boarding the flight. The flight was very empty, and I had an entire row to myself. Right before boarding the plane, I was asked by a random person if I spoke Spanish, and I said “Yes, a little.” There was a Columbian woman waiting to board the plane to Philadelphia who didn’t speak any English and was wondering what “Zone 5” meant on her ticket. I explained to her (as best I could) that it was the order of boarding. She then asked me if I had checked baggage and if I could help her find the baggage claim area in Philadelphia. I told her that I would help her as best that I could. I talked with her a bit on the plane (we happened to be sitting right next to each other). She told me that she was a university professor back in Columbia and we chatted for a bit about education, Cuba, etc. It was a nice time! Landing in Philadelphia was uneventful, but complex emotionally.

            I was extremely happy to finally be home, see my parents (and Alfie…their dog!), but I was already missing Cuba. One could say that I was bitten by the “Cuba bug.” Before I even set foot on the island, I was extremely interested in the music, the culture, the people, and the intrigue of the forbidden island, but after actually visiting the place, I fell in love all over again. Amongst all of the poverty, run-down buildings, and strife, I felt at home. Cuba has three main social problems: 1) a Housing Shortage, 2) Unemployment, and 3) Shortage of Food. Obviously, Cuba has a lot of problems, but it also has a lot of good. I felt quite comfortable with the music, the culture, and the friendliness of the people. I was constantly learning and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip.

            There is so much more out in the world than the confines of America’s borders, and it was a pleasure to be able to see it firsthand. It is important to mention that just because the media says Cuba is a questionable place, it doesn’t mean it actually is. The first question many people ask me when I say I was in Cuba is: “Isn’t it dangerous?” I respond by simply saying, “No, it is one of the safest places in the world, even safer than the United States.” Cuba’s education system is one of the best in the world (better than our Public School System), their emphasis on preserving the national music and culture is enviable and something that we could learn a thing or two from, but most of all, the heartfelt friendliness and warmth of the Cuban people, is something that no one can teach. It is something that the Cubans are born with, in a place where they have so much, but at the same time have so little. I will be the first to admit that Cuba is not perfect, but no place is perfect, and the sooner that we start to recognize that, the better. To condemn an entire island for the actions of their leaders is incredibly ridiculous. There is not one reason in the entire world why American citizens should be forbidden from travelling to Cuba; it’s not dangerous, the Cuban people are wonderful, and there is so much that we can learn! It is a shame that the political views of the few, influence and condemn the inalienable rights of the many. What ever happened to the old saying: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?” I can’t even begin to understand the entire political framework that makes the Cuban Embargo tick; I’m just starting to understand it. What I can say is that Cuba is a wonderful island full of a culturally rich people who celebrate their culture and the positive aspects of life at every opportunity. I truly recognize that the United States regulations that got me to Cuba are a step in the right direction, but more has to be done to further allow Cuba to be open to more people, to share its beauty AND its strife with more people.